Vibrant red goji berries, naturally sweet. Besides being used to make tea, goji berries can also be used to cook home-style dishes. When it comes to goji berries, everyone immediately thinks of their benefit for improving eyesight. After a baby turns 2, they can try a small amount of goji berries, which is beneficial for supplementing vitamins.
In addition to being rich in types and content of vitamins, using goji berries in cooking not only makes the dishes look beautiful but also tastes great.
A Few Things About Goji Berries
The Nutrition of Goji Berries
Goji berries contain goji polysaccharides, zeaxanthin, vitamin E, and B vitamins. Among them, goji polysaccharides can activate T cells, stimulate antibody production, and enhance the body's immune function. The zeaxanthin in goji berries, a type of carotenoid, is concentrated in the macula of the eye, which can protect the eyes from free radical damage, so it is beneficial for eye health.
How to Select Goji Berries
Goji berries should be chosen with full grains and a dark red color is best. For goji berries with a brighter red color, they should be avoided as they may have been treated with sulfur and artificial colorings.
How to Clean Goji Berries
When cleaning goji berries, you can first place them in a container, soak and rinse them in water, and observe if any color leaches out. During the cleaning process, filter out the impurities, then rinse under running water 2-3 times.
How to Store Goji Berries
Store goji berries in a clean, dry sealed jar or sealed bag. It is best to place the sealed jar or bag containing goji berries in the refrigerator.
Delicious Goji Berry Recipes
Goji Berry and Bok Choy
Ingredients:
300g bok choy, 30g ginger shreds, 20g goji berries, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sesame oil, appropriate amount of oil
Instructions:
1. Wash the bok choy and separate it into individual leaves.
2. Heat oil in a wok, first stir-fry the ginger shreds until fragrant, then add salt and sesame oil and stir-fry.
3. Add the goji berries and bok choy, stir-fry until cooked.
Pork, Lotus Root, and Oatmeal Porridge
Ingredients:
100g rice, 1 small piece of lotus root, 1 small piece of lean pork, 1 tbsp corn kernels, a small amount of goji berries, a small amount of oatmeal, 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions:
1. Wash the rice, soak it in a small pot for 30 minutes, then cook into a soft and thick porridge.
2. Peel the lotus root and slice it thinly. Slice the pork. Wash the goji berries and corn kernels.
3. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, blanch the lotus root slices and corn kernels until cooked, then remove. Blanch the pork slices until cooked and remove.
4. Add the blanched lotus root, corn, and pork, along with the goji berries and oatmeal, into the porridge, and bring to a boil again.
5. Season with salt at the end.
Penaeus Vannamei and Radish Soup
Ingredients:
200g Penaeus vannamei (white shrimp), 300g white radish, 25g dried scallops, 5g goji berries, 2 slices of ginger, 1200ml water, 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions:
1. Peel the white radish and cut into large pieces.
2. Soak the dried scallops in water for a short while.
3. Clean the Penaeus vannamei.
4. Place the radish pieces in a pot, bring to a boil over high heat without a lid, and continue to cook for 3 minutes.
5. Then add goji berries, ginger slices, and dried scallops, turn to low heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Add the Penaeus vannamei to the pot, turn back to high heat, cook for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Season with salt before serving.
Silver Ear Water Chestnut Soup
Ingredients:
5 dried silver ear mushrooms, 10 water chestnuts, 20 dried lotus seeds, 30 goji berries, 20g rock sugar, 1500ml water
Instructions:
1. Soak the silver ear mushrooms in water for 1 hour.
2. Once the mushrooms are soft, use scissors to remove the hard yellow parts, and cut the mushrooms into small pieces, as finely as possible.
3. Soak the goji berries in water for a moment, then wash and set aside.
4. Peel the water chestnuts and dice them.
5. Place water in a pot, add dried lotus seeds, silver ear mushrooms, and water chestnuts, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat, cover partially, and simmer for about 40 minutes.
6. Add the goji berries to the pot, continue to simmer for 5 minutes, add rock sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves.